This invention generally relates to an automatic detergent dispenser apparatus and, more particularly, to an automatic detergent dispenser apparatus for a washing machine and the like, for automatically dispensing a detergent to a washing tub.
A conventional automatic detergent dispenser apparatus for a washing machine and the like is disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 54-43827. In this apparatus, cleanser is fed from a hopper into a washing tub through a valve which is manually operated. However, since a feeding amount of a cleanser is determined in accordance with a user's experience, the cleanser cannot always feed in an amount appropriate for the amount of water in the tub.
Therefore, in order to feed a proper amount of cleanser an induction motor may be used as a power source of a cleanser feeding mechanism, and a driving time of the motor is controlled. However, if the driving time of the motor is unconditionally set by a timer, the speed at which the motor rotates for the driving time when driven by an AC source voltage of 60 Hz differs from the speed at which the motor rotates when driven by an AC source voltage of 50 Hz. As a result, when the cleanser feeding mechanism having the induction motor is used, a cleanser feeding amount largely varies due to a difference in the source voltage frequencies. To eliminate this problem, the induction motor may be replaced with a DC motor. However, since the speed of rotation of the DC motor largely varies due to a voltage variation, it is difficult to eliminate a variation in the cleanser feeding amount.
As described above, when an induction motor or a DC motor is used as a power source, and the cleanser feeding amount is controlled by changing the driving time of the motor, the amount of the cleanser fed largely varies due to a difference in frequencies of the AC source voltages or due to the voltage variation.